The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-09-24
Complied for The Arkansdw TrdUeIer. SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

ilCNStt tc DC CAIC OIllN Ole III cAfSleuCG, has been established in the Imperial University of Japan.
 A French traveller has thoroughly explored the Orinoco river, and finds that it's sources are surrounded by a fan shaped chain of mountains, which he proposes calling the De Lesseps range.
 Applying certain measurements to a scarcely visible film of silver, Herr Wiener arrives at the conclusion that no less than 125,000,000 molecules of silver must be laid in line to measure an inch.
 In collection of poisonous fishes now on exhibition at Havre is very peculiar Tetrodon from the Japan Sea which is sometimes used as means of suicide. It gives sensations like those of morphia, then death.
 Though discovered in 1879, saccha- rine is just beginning to be manufac- tured on large scale, near Magde- burg, Prussia. Having 300 times the sweetening power of cane sugar, this remarkable product is adapted to many uses. It is expected to be especially valuable in medicine on ac- count of it's absolute harmlessness.
 Of the various geological collections in the British Museum, the oldest is the Sloane collection, which was ac- quired by purchase in 1753. The fossils were then regarded as mere curiosities, and the original manu- script catalogue, still preserved, con- tains many curious entries to remind the reader of the rapid progress of the science of geology during recent years.
 Some curious results produced by exploding marked blocks of gun-cot- ton on fiat plates of wrought iron have been described by MT. C. E. Monroe. The gun-cotton blocks were placed with the lettered side down. and the letters stamped in relief ap- peared in relief on the iron after eX- plosion, while, on the other hand, the letters depressed in the gun-cotton were also depressed on the iron plate.
 II tion to supplying crops with necessary moisture, rain has distinct manurial value. At Rothamstead, the we'll known farm of Sir John B. Lawyer, it has been shown that, with an annual rainfall of little less than thirtv-two inches, each acre of land receives every year in the rain water over fourteen pounds of pure chlorine, seventeen pounds of sulphuric acid, and between two and three pounds of ammonia.
 GoFIo.-The splendid physical de- velopment of the Canary Islanders gives special interest to their peculiar food. Five-sixths of the inhabitants, according to Dr. c. F. Taylor, subsist almost exclusively upon a fine flour made by grinding roasted wheat. corn or barley. This is called gQfo. Being already cooked. it requires no prepara- tion for eating except mixing to any desired consistency with milk, soup or any suitable fluid. Gofo is delicious, wholesome, highly nutritious, and very convenient to use. For these reasons, and the important one that it seems to remove tendency to acidity of the stomach, Dr. Taylor recom- mends the addition of this food to our own already large variety.
 EARTHQUAKE PREsCIENCE.-In a paper before late meeting of the Seismological Society of Japan, Prof. Milne mentioned the signs of alarm which the lower animals often show just before earthquakes. Ponies were observed to prance in their stalls half a minute before shock last January. Proof has been found that pheasants scream, and frogs suddenly cease their croaking, while geese, swine and dogs give the clearest indications of an ap- preaching earthquake. It was sug- gested that the animals are probably very sensitive to slight preliminary tremors, though in volcanic districts small animals have been not only alarmed but even killed by gases es- caping just before earthquakes.
 IN A LAND OF DARKNEss.-New Guinea, probably the second island in size in the world, is less known to civilized man than any other region Of equal size. Until recently even the 1 principal features of the coast had not been accurately determined, and the 1 interior still offers an extensive field for exploration. During the present year an expedition under MT. Theo- | dore Bevan has successfully sought 1 water route to the inland mountains. discovering two magnificent rivers, with numerous tributaries. The main | streams were named the Douglas and 1 the Jubilee, and were navigated for I30 | and no miles. The course led into a | coultry of superb mountain scenery | through fertile lands in which sago, | bananas, tobacco, bread-fruit and | sugar-cane were found to be indigen- ous. The island proved to be prac- fically uninhahifod axoox,4 u-;*l:x, a 1